Castelia City Lights
by Sese Daniels
Summary: Aurelie Stone grew up falling asleep to the Castelia City lights. Wanting to continue her father's legacy of being a journalist for Castelia's newspaper, Aurelie tried her hardest until she finally got a job there. But, unfortunately, her dream is crushed when her boss fires her. Kicked out, she bumps into Cheren, and they discuss what it means to have a dream. Can he cheer her up?
1. One

**Soooo...NEW SHORT STORY! Yes, I know I write too many books, but I swear this one won't take long! It's only 6 chapters, and I've already written the whole thing.**

**Disclaimer: I OBVIOUSLY don't own Pokemon...but I wish I did :( that would be so freaking cool...**

**Claimer: I own ALL OC's in this story plus the plot. I thought of the whole thing myself. It's mine. Copy it and I will be very upset :( I've had too many problems before with my books being copied, and I'd love to avoid that from now on. Thanks~!**

**Read, review, and enjoy the story!**

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><p>The little girl with short pink hair stood up on her tip-toes, folding her arms across the edge of her father's boat. She gasped and awed at the beautiful lights shining from the city across the water, a truly beautiful sight is what it was. The sight of the beautiful lights dancing across the blue ocean water made her smile, it made her feel content. Oh how she wanted to live in the big city one day, one day... One day she would live in Castelia City, and she would have her own place, and a job at the column working side-by-side with her father. Just like him. She would be just like him one day.<p>

"Aurelie and Parker Stone, the best Pokemon Column Writers Castelia has ever seen!" Aurelie giggled to herself, imagining her inevitable fame one day.

She looked back across the water, seeing the silhouettes of Lapras' swimming elegantly across the big blue sea. The city lit up the dark night sky, acting as the stars that once shone high above. That was her dream. Aurelie's dream was to live in that big city one day, working at her father's newspaper as a journalist. But, not just ANY journalist... She would write what her father wrote about: Pokemon.

A little girl could dream, right? But, unlike most 8-year-olds Aurelie's age, she was actually going to make it happen.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Aurelie dashed back into the captain's quarters of the boat, spotting her father writing at his desk.

Parker turned his head and saw his daughter leaping into his arms just in time. He caught her with a blissful laugh, repositioning the little girl onto his lap. "Aurelie... Next time, give me a little bit of a warning, would you?" He laughed, ruffling her short pink hair.

"Sorry..." Aurelie pouted, then glanced at what her father was writing on his laptop. "Oooh! What's the lucky Pokemon for this week?" She curiously asked, craning her neck to try and read what was written on his laptop.

Parker laughed at his squirming daughter, moving her so she could see what he wrote better. "The Pokemon of the week is... Lapras!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Aurelie was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "I just saw some outside! Come on! Let's go!" Aurelie pulled at her father's arm, dragging him towards the deck.

Parker just laughed, letting his little daughter lead the way. "Alright, Aurelie, alright! I'm coming!"

The twosome ran out onto the deck, gazing at the blue ocean before them. Aurelie pointed at the spot on the horizon where she saw the Lapras swimming off into the distance. "See, Daddy? There they are!" Parker picked up his daughter so she could see better over the boat's edge. "Aren't they pretty?"

"Yes, Aurelie." He smiled down at her, ruffling her hair. "They're beautiful."

Their eyes tore away from the Lapras, finding themselves staring at the enchanting Castelia City lights.

"We're going to live there some day. Right, Daddy?" Aurelie pointed at the glowing city, looking up at her father.

"It's a bit expensive..." Parker sighed, then put on a happy face for his daughter. "...but, I promise you. One day, sweetie, we'll live there. We'll get a place in the city of lights."

"Yay!" Aurelie cheered, brimming with pure happiness and joy. "And then we'll both be journalists writing for the paper!"

"Yes, Aurelie." Parker smiled at his ever so cheerful daughter. "If that's your dream, then one day... I promise it will come true."


	2. Two

**~16 Years Later~**

"Oh, Dean! Wait up!" The tall, slender woman of 26 practically leapt up from her desk, nearly falling over in the process.

The editor turned on his heel, staring at the woman with an uninterested look. "Yes...Aurelie?" He turned around all the way this time, facing her.

Aurelie clumsily stood up from the ground, dusting off her pencil skirt and fixing her shoulder length pink hair. "I was just wondering if I could be considered for that new journalist opening...?" Aurelie looked at him sincerely, holding a clipboard. "It's just that... I've worked here for ten years now, and I was hopeing..."

"Get to the point, Aurelie." Dean sighed, cutting her off impatiently. He raised his hand to his forehead, looking down at the floor.

"Oh, right..." Aurelie's confidence diminished, and her timid nature began to show. "...well, I was hoping that I could be the paper's new journalist, considering my dedication to the office..."

"How long have you worked here again...?" Dean rudely cut her off again. Short on time, he kept glancing down at his watch.

Aurelie flinched with surprise, not expecting this. "...10 years, sir. It's my tenth year here as an intern."

Dean looked Aurelie up and down, then stepped over to her. "Walk with me." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, walking her through the office. "It's a shame what the cancer did to your father, Aurelie..." Aurelie flinched at how casually her father's former boss could just bring up his death like that. "...but, did I not take you in at 16 and give you a job here? Are you saying you're ungrateful?"

"No, sir!" Aurelie answered hastily, then quickly regretted her interruption. "I mean... That's not my intention, sir... I'm extraordinarily grateful for what you've done for me, it's just that I think that I could do so much more for the paper if I was a journalist! Just like my father once was!" Aurelie quickly explained herself, trying to sound grateful and not too hasty.

"I see." Dean mused out loud, then began to slow down his pace as they approached his office. "Well, considering your dedication for the paper and you father's legacy, I don't see why not..."

"Really?!" Aurelie squealed with joy, jumping up and shaking Dean's arm off. She noticed how much attention she had drawn from her coworkers in the office, then quickly quieted down. "I mean... Really?" She sheepishly smiled at Dean, who in return just shook his head at her.

"Alright." Dean started to open the door to his office. "Go home and write me up a brainstormed idea of what you plan on writing for the column, then a sample piece. Meet me at my office tomorrow at 9am sharp for a consultation, and we'll discuss your career then."

**SLAM!**

Aurelie completely ignored how rude Dean was and how he just slammed the door, abruptly ending their conversation. This was it! She was finally going to achieve her dream!

Aurelie dashed out of the office with incredible speed, grabbing her coat and scarf from her cubicle on the way. She threw on her beige coat and snow white scarf, stepping out onto the sidewalk in front of her workplace. She pulled out a pair of white gloves and a white hat, then flagged down a taxi cab. She pulled the wool gloves over her frozen fingers, and pulled the white hat over her pink hair. She shivered at how cold this winter day was, then told the cab driver directions to her apartment. The drive lasted only ten minutes at most. Aurelie paid the man what she owed him, then quickly made her way up the stairs to her building.

"Hi Frank!" Aurelie waved to the doorman, being her usual friendly self.

"Greetings, Ms. Stone." Frank gave a slight bow. "Aren't you home a little early...?" He inquired, then laughed when Aurelie abruptly hugged him.

"Dean is finally giving me the chance at being a journalist!" She squealed with excitement, then let go of her doorman.

Frank lightly chuckled and shook his head, then held the door open for her courteously. "Well, best of luck to you."

"Thanks!" Aurelie skipped joyfully into her building, heading straight for the elevators.

Frank shook his head at the snowy ground. "That girl... She's too innocent for this cruel world." He tore his eyes away from the ground with a sad look. "I just pray to Arceus that everything works out for her. Meeting an angel like that in this city is just about as rare as finding a Victini..."

Aurelie removed her gloves and pressed the elevator button for the sixth floor, waiting patiently for the doors to close. She lightly hummed along to the elevator music, then dashed out of the elevator as soon as she reached her destination. She rifled through her pockets until she found her keys, opening the door hastily. Aurelie took off her coat and scarf, hanging them up on the coat rack by the door.

The apartment she had lived in for the past 16 years wasn't too bad, but it wasn't as luxurious as some of the other ones Castelia offered. She had beige walls and white furniture, and the occasional lamp here and there. To her left was a glass sliding door that led out to the balcony, and to the right was the kitchen with a wrap-around counter. Her bedroom was in the back, and the living room was in the front. She easily was paying 2600 poke dollars a month for this place.

Aurelie flopped onto the couch, then noticed her mail piled up on the glass coffee table. She would have to thank Stan the mailman later for bringing it in for her. Aurelie skimmed through the envelopes, noticing they were all bills.

"Electric bill, water bill..." She shuffled through the envelopes until she found the most important looking one. "Uh oh...looks like I'm late on my rent again." Aurelie bit her lower lip, stressing out. She got up with the bills in hand, stepping into her kitchen. She stuck them to the fridge with a magnet, then stepped back a little. "Well, with this new job, I'll finally be able to afford this place!" Aurelie squealed with delight, then dashed into her bedroom for her laptop.

She plopped herself down on her bed, repositioning her father's old laptop in her lap. She pulled up Microsoft word, and got right to frantically typing.

"Now... What to write about?" Aurelie pondered it over for a moment, then an imaginary lightbulb lit up above her head. "Oh! I know just the thing!"


	3. Three

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEEEEP!**

Aurelie groaned at the sound of her alarm clock going off, then rubbed at her eyes. She glanced over at the clock, noticing it read 7:30am. She turned off the alarm and reluctantly pulled back the covers, standing up from her bed. Aurelie then remembered what was happening today, and her immediate excitement quickly woke her up.

"Today's the day!" She dashed for her closet, flicking on the lights. Aurelie frantically looked around, trying to decide what to wear. "Hmm... What does one wear on the day they finally achieve their dream...?"

She rifled through her closet, and all you could see were hangers and shoes flying everywhere. She'd clean up the mess later. Aurelie must've tried on twelve different outfits before finally settling on one: a stylish red blouse, a black pencil skirt, and black high heels. Aurelie dashed for the kitchen, combing through the pantry for something to eat.

Aurelie sweatdropped at how empty it was. "Wow... I forgot that I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks..." Aurelie grabbed a half-empty box of cereal, and poured herself the last glass of milk.

She glanced at the clock: 8:30am.

"OH CRAP!" Aurelie frantically ate her breakfast in a rush, then bolted for the door with her laptop bag around her shoulder. She grabbed her coat, scarf, and hat, quickly putting them on as she ran for the elevator.

To her dismay, there was an "out of order" sign taped to it. Aurelie groaned to herself, then began running down the six flights of stairs. She was panting furiously by the time she made it to the ground floor.

Frank shot her a weird look. "Is someone running late...?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

Aurelie was so out of breath that she could only nod her head in response. Frank shook his head at her, then pointed at the road filled with backed up traffic. It looked like there had been an accident, but either way, there was no way in all of Unova that Aurelie was going to get a taxi cab.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Aurelie panted, staring at the traffic. You could see her breath in this cold weather, even though the sun was out. The snow had melted, and that's probably what had caused the accident.

Aurelie reluctantly began sprinting down the sidewalk in her high heels, praying to Arceus that she could make it on time. If she was late, her life was over.

"Good luck!" Frank waved good-bye to her, hoping that things would go well.

Aurelie ran as fast as she possibly could in high heels. She even took a few shortcuts through some of the alleys. She crossed cross walks, walking for miles. Finally, she made it to her office building. She ran all the way up to Dean's office, barging in right at 9:00am sharp.

Aurelie nearly collapsed into the chair in front of her boss's desk, panting furiously.

Dean just stared at her in shock. "I'm not even going to ask..." He sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Well. Let's see what you've got for me."

Still trying to catch her breath, Aurelie rummaged through her laptop bag, pulling out a stack of crisp and un-wrinkled papers.

Dean accepted them from her, then began reading over them. He read over her entire column rough draft with a look of disinterest, skimming through most of this. "Aurelie..."

"Yes?!" She had caught her breath at this point, and was anxious to hear what Dean thought of this.

"This entire column, it's about...Pokemon." He sweatdropped, flipping over the papers to see if there was anything else hidden on the back.

Aurelie put her pointer finger on the article. "More specifically, it's about Lilligant's!" She radiated confidence in her work, completely content.

Dean just stared at the article. "...yes. I've noticed."

"Well, what do you think!?" Aurelie asked him, her excitement was clear.

"Aurelie, this is great and all, but..." Dean adjusted his glasses and looked up at her. "This just isn't the kind of thing the column writes about anymore."

The sound of Aurelie's heart sinking sounded like a car crash.

"These days, the column likes to write about...other topics." Dean was trying to think of a nice way to put this. "...we tend to focus more on celebrity gossip, movie premieres, things like that."

Aurelie choked down her feeling of crushed joy. "So... I have to write about that stuff to be a journalist in Castelia?"

"Precisely! I'm glad we're on the same page!" Dean gave a hearty laugh, leaning backwards in his chair.

Aurelie just sighed. "But... What about my father's old column? I don't want to write about these new topics!" Aurelie stood up from her chair, looking off into the distance with an inspirational grin. "I wanted to achieve my dream: continue his column at this newspaper!"

Dean stood up from his chair and smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He began walking her out the door. "You know, Aurelie... I think I have just the position for you."

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><p><span><strong>WHOOSH!<strong>

**SLAM!**

**THUD! **

"OW!" Aurelie gave out a pained cry when her butt hit the cold pavement outside. She had been kicked out of the office...literally. "Hey!" Aurelie stood up and began yelling up at the building. "You can't just fire me after I spent 10 years of my life devoted to this place!"

"Sorry, Aurelie." Dean called down to her, sticking his head out the window. "You're just not what we're looking for in a journalist." He grabbed a box full of stuff from her desk, then dropped it out the window. "Don't forget your stuff!"

Aurelie's eyes widened as the box of her stuff collided with her stomach, knocking her butt to the ground once again.

**BAM!**

"OW!"

The citizens of Castelia walking by just laughed at her, shooting her a sideways glance. Aurelie felt heartbroken when she saw the picture of her and her dad had fallen out and shattered on the pavement. She managed to salvage the picture inside the broken frame, and knelt down next to her box of stuff, holding the picture.

Suddenly, someone's outstretched hand appeared in front of her face. Aurelie looked up at the man it belonged to, wearing a bitter look.

"What, are you going to just laugh at me, too?" She gave a cynical laugh, still holding onto the picture.

"Actually, I was just going to help you up." The man smirked down at her, making Aurelie feel horrible.

"Oh. Sorry..." Aurelie looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed of herself. The man grabbed her hand and pulled Aurelie up to her feet, then grabbed her box of stuff. "Thank you..." Aurelie thanked him, still feeling guilty.

The man nodded his head and handed Aurelie her box. "It was no trouble at all."

Aurelie stared up at him, just now getting a good look at him. He wore a suit and tie, and had short black hair and blue eyes. He couldn't have been any shorter than 6'2.

The man stared down at the 5'8 girl with pink hair, holding his hand out for her to shake. "My name is Cheren."

Aurelie, suddenly feeling timid once again, shyly shook Cheren's hand. "I'm...Aurelie Stone." Aurelie looked back up at her old workplace, then back at Cheren. "...how much of that did you see?"

Cheren noticed how deeply upset Aurelie was, and he felt bad for her. "All of it." He wore a stern look, then relaxed a little. "They shouldn't have just kicked you out like that..." Cheren sighed, staring down into Aurelie's grey eyes. "You seem upset... Do you want to talk about it?"

Aurelie stared down at the pavement. "Well, it's not as if I have anywhere else to go..."


	4. Four

"That's a picture of my father and I, back when I was just a kid." Aurelie smiled, looking at the picture Cheren was holding.

"Oh, really?" Cheren mused out loud, staring at the picture. It had a little girl with pink hair and her father standing on a boat, and Castelia City was in the background.

Cheren and Aurelie were sitting together on a bench at one of Castelia City's boat docks, looking out at the ocean.

"He died when I was 16..." Aurelie sighed, looking down at her lap. Cheren turned his head to look at her, about to ask, but Aurelie beat him to it and answered his question. "Cancer."

"I'm so sorry for your loss..." Cheren gave her his condolences, handing Aurelie back her picture.

"It's ok..." Aurelie stared down at the picture. "That's all anyone ever says. _'I'm sorry,'_ they say. I never understood that phrase. Why do people apologize for something when it's not their fault?" Aurelie crossed her arms, looking out at the ocean with a cynical look.

Cheren paused for a moment. She had asked a good question. "I... I suppose it's because it's such an awkward topic that most people just don't know what to say."

"Perhaps." Aurelie looked down at the picture again, changing the subject. "I had to sell the boat after he died so that I could take care of myself. Dean, my dad's old boss, was nice enough to give me a job at the office as an intern."

"The job you just got fired from today?" Cheren inquired, looking over at Aurelie.

"Yeah... That's the one." She sighed, then put the picture back in the box with the rest of her stuff. "Today was my one chance to achieve my dream of honoring my father's legacy: continuing his column in the newspaper. And I... I blew it." Aurelie slumped her head in her hand.

"How so?" Cheren asked her, intrigued by this woman's story. He was in no rush, and certainly didn't have anything as interesting as this to do all day. Plus...she intrigued him. He didn't know why, there was just something about her. There was something about this woman that made her stand out from any other woman Cheren had ever met, and he had an idea of what that was... It was a crazy idea, considering they just met.

"My father used to write the Pokemon column for the newspaper, and Dean told me that's just not the kind of thing the paper wrote about anymore..." Cheren noticed how heartbroken Aurelie's face looked, making him empathize with her.

"Wait... Your father used to write that column?" Cheren asked, intrigued. "I used to read that all the time as a kid... I found his information on Pokemon most helpful when I was still a traveling Pokemon Trainer."

"Exactly!" Aurelie agreed, sitting straight up. "That's what I loved about it, too!" Aurelie smiled cheerfully, and Cheren found her grin absolutely infectious. It was pretty cute, too. "I wish everyone was like you, Cheren." Aurelie's eyes widened when she realized how awkward that sounded. Her face flushed a deep shade of red, and Cheren had a light blush creep up on his cheeks. "Oh, that's not what I meant..."

Cheren cut her off with an amused laugh, shaking his head. "I understood what you meant, don't worry." He covered his face with his hand so she wouldn't se the slight blush on his face. Scratch that, it wasn't just a crazy idea. It was an absolutely insane idea. An absolutely insane idea that Cheren was strangely ok with.

"Oh good." Aurelie turned her reddened face away from him. "I was just about to die of embarrassment."

The two adults shared yet another laugh, making the time fly quickly. They enjoyed each other's company, having an amusing conversation. And only one of the two noticed the sparks that began to fly, and it wasn't Aurelie. Aurelie found Cheren's intelligent and witty remarks entertaining, and Cheren found Aurelie's bubbly spirit underneath the broken heart most amusing. He also found her quite pretty, too, but he wasn't about to say anything about that. And oddly, he found her awkwardness enchanting.

And awkward silence fell over the two, and they stared out at the ocean. They kept sneaking peeks at one another when the other wasn't looking, until Aurelie blurted out something that had been on her mind for the longest time. "What's the point in having a dream?"

"I beg your pardon?" Cheren looked over at her, intrigued by what she had said. Her choice of words were interesting to him.

"You know, what's the point in having a dream?" Aurelie crossed her legs and turned her head to look at Cheren. "Realistic or not, they don't seem to come true either way. So... What's the point in having a dream? A lifelong goal?" She stared into his blue eyes, looking for answers she hoped he could provide.

Cheren thought this over for a minute, and was surprised to find himself at a loss for words. "You know... I'm not even sure how to answer that." He shook his head and stared down at the ground, laughing a little. "You sound just like me when I was still a kid..."

"I do?" Aurelie inquired, raising an eyebrow. She scooted a little closer to Cheren to listen to his story, and he honestly didn't mind.

"Yes." Cheren smiled, still holding his gaze with the floor. "When I was still a young Pokemon Trainer, I dreamt of being the strongest there ever was one day. I was even going to try and become the Pokemon League Champion."

"So what happened?" Aurelie asked him, listening to what Cheren had to say.

"I used to pursue the ideal of strength, until one day someone questioned it." Cheren let out a slight laugh. "I bumped into the Pokemon League Champion at the time: Alder. He questioned me on why I strived to become stronger, and I didn't know how to answer that. Just like how I don't really know how to answer your question." Cheren sat up, looking out at the horizon. "I was unsure of my reasons at the time, and it got me thinking. He asked me what do I plan on doing after I become strong, and once again, I was left speechless..." Cheren sighed, then continued. "I thought about it for the longest time, and my mind was just drawing blanks. I had no idea what I was going to do after becoming stronger, or why I even desired that goal in the first place..."

"So what did you do?" Aurelie asked, looking over at Cheren.

"I ended up doing something I never expected I'd be doing, being a Gym Leader." Cheren smiled at Aurelie, staring straight into her grey eyes that he found most alluring. "I guess the point in having a dream that doesn't come true is that it puts you on the right path for what you're supposed to be doing." Cheren shrugged. "If Alder hadn't ever questioned my reasoning, I don't think I would have ended up where I am today."

"Was it worth it?"

Aurelie's sudden qustion caught Cheren off guard, and he turned to look at her. They both stared deeply into each other's eyes, looking right into one another's soul. Cheren stared at the beautiful Aurelie for the longest time, then smiled. "Yes, I believe it was. That dream, even though it failed, got me to where I am today. If that didn't happen, then perhaps I wouldn't have met you." Cheren let out an amused sigh, flashing her a half-smile.

Aurelie thought about what Cheren had said carefully. "Well... I see your point." Aurelie wore a sad smile. "But... That was my dream job. Now, there's no WAY I can afford my apartment. If this was meant to put me on the right path, then I have no idea what that 'right path' is..." She let out a sad sigh. "All I ever dreamed of when I was a kid was living in Castelia, the glorious city of lights. And now... I'm starting to notice that it's not as glorious as I once thought it was..." Aurelie looked over her shoulder at the big city behind her, and Cheren caught a glimpse at her heartbroken look. It pained him to see her feel so down.

"Well... Perhaps it's just time for you to turn over a new leaf." Cheren suggested, and Aurelie looked over at him. "Would you ever consider being a teacher?"

"A teacher?" Aurelie inquired, raising an eyebrow. She wondered where that had come from all of a sudden.

"Yes, a teacher." Cheren repeated himself. "With your extensive knowledge on Pokemon, I'm sure you'd make a wonderful teacher at the Trainer School in Aspertia City." Cheren smiled at her with a look of hope. "Plus, you wouldn't be alone there. It's filled with lots of nice people, and I just so happen to work there as both a teacher and the Gym Leader of Aspertia City."

Aurelie thought over it for a moment. "I...I... I don't know... I've lived in Castelia my whole life, you see." She looked back over at the ocean. "I don't think I could ever leave this place..."

"I see." Cheren sighed at little, more than just a little disappointed with her answer. He glanced down at his watch, then stood up from the bench. "Well, I should get going." Cheren looked back over his shoulder at Aurelie, secretly hoping to see her again one day. "It was nice meeting you, Aurelie Stone. Think about my offer, maybe?" He asked, starting to walk away.

"Maybe. And it was nice meeting you too, Cheren." Aurelie waved good-bye to Cheren and watched him walk away, and she didn't understand why she felt more sad than she did before he left.

With a sigh, Aurelie stood up with her box and began trudging her way back home. She didn't know what she was going to do now.

Stay here in this depressing city of broken dreams, or move?


	5. Five

"And then he left." Aurelie finished telling her story to Frank, who was listening carefully.

"That's it? You just let him leave?" Frank gaped at Aurelie, astonished with her choice.

Aurelie just sweatdropped. "Do you think I made the wrong decision...?"

"Yes I think you made the wrong decision!" Frank quickly answered her question. "Aurelie, are you blind?!"

Aurelie just shrank back into her skin a little. "...yes? Maybe? I don't know! Just tell me what you noticed that I didn't!" She flailed her arms up and down, impatient and flustered.

Frank just facepalmed. "So let me get this straight. Right after your dreams are shattered, this Prince Charming comes in and sweeps you off your feet, taking you away from this dreary place, and you said NO?!" Frank threw his hands into the air, exasperated. "He even said that his opinion was that the point in having a dream was that it puts you onto the right path, and without that, he wouldn't have met you, and you STILL didn't get it?! Did you seriously not pick up on ANY of the hints he was dropping?!" Frank asked her.

Aurelie just sweatdropped. "Umm... Yes? Frank, can you repeat that? I'm still a little lost here..."

Frank just facepalmed. "Aurelie, I can't believe you didn't go after that boy. You're an adult, an angel, even! You don't deserve to be cooped up in this place! You'd be a fool not to go after him!"

A bunch of thoughts began racing through Aurelie's mind, things Cheren had said to her earlier that day...

_"I guess the point in having a dream that doesn't come true is that it puts you on the right path for what you're supposed to be doing."_

_"That dream, even though it failed, got me to where I am today. If that didn't happen, then perhaps I wouldn't have met you."_

_"Well... Perhaps it's just time for you to turn over a new leaf. Would you ever consider being a teacher?"_

_"With your extensive knowledge on Pokemon, I'm sure you'd make a wonderful teacher at the Trainer School in Aspertia City."_

_"Plus, you wouldn't be alone there. It's filled with lots of nice people, and I just so happen to work there as both a teacher and the Gym Leader of Aspertia City."_

_"It was nice meeting you, Aurelie Stone."_

Aurelie's eyes widened in shock and delighted surprise when it finally dawned on her. "Wait... So, you think I should go after Cheren?"

"Yes!" Frank reassured her, excited for Aurelie. "Don't tell me that you don't like him." He raised an eyebrow at the 26-year-old, crossing his arms.

Aurelie's face just flushed red. "Frank! He was a complete stranger!"

Frank just rolled his eyes. "Yes, a complete stranger that you described as a cute and charming guy that lifted your spirits when you were down." Frank stared at her, raising an eyebrow.

Aurelie just sweatdropped. "...I see your point..." She bit her lower lip. "Ok, so MAYBE I like him a little bit... But... We just met! Do you seriously think he likes me, too?!"

Frank just sighed. Oh how this woman frustrated him. He watched her grow up for 16 years and loved her to death, but she still frustrated him. "Yes, Aurelie. I really think he likes you, too." He chuckled at the girl, shaking his head.

She sighed again, folding her arms. "B-But... I can't leave this place! All I ever wanted to do was live in this city of lights, and now that I'm here... I can't just leave!" She vented her frustration to Frank, who just sighed in return.

"Aurelie..." Frank gave her a sincere look. "This city of lights, as you call it, is a bug zapper. It draws nice girls like you in, and the light is so alluring that you don't want to leave." Frank placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let me tell you something about this place, Aurelie. Just look around." Frank pointed at the people walking by. "These people, these rich people who have it all... They're not happy. They're just existing in this city of nothingness. As long as you live in a place like this, Aurelie, you'll never be happy. So, get out while you can..." Frank turned to look at her with a sad smile.

Aurelie felt torn in making the decision. Frank was right, though... Looking around at the people having meaningless conversations with one another, Aurelie realized that she was living in a negative environment that had no meaning. This city of lights that she once dreamed of... It really was a bug zapper. Aurelie didn't love Castelia...

She loved the idea of Castelia City.

"You're right, Frank!" Aurelie grinned brightly at him, making up her mind. She bolted towards the doors to her apartment building, not even giving Frank the chance to open them for her.

Frank just chuckled at the young woman's spirit. "Where are you going?"

Aurelie stopped in her tracks, looking over her shoulder at Frank. "I'm going after Cheren."


	6. Six

Aurelie Stone had finally, for the first time in her life, ventured out of Castelia City. The previous night, she had spoken with the landlord that owned most of Aspertia City, and she had gotten a pretty good deal for a place there. She went from paying 2600 poke dollars for an apartment in Castelia City to 200 poke dollars for a cute little condo in Aspertia City. Aurelie had said her tearful good-bye to Frank after he helped her finish packing, and then she was off. With her apartment sold and her bags packed, she was ready to turn over a new leaf. She had purchased a boat ticket to Virbank City with whatever money she had left, and then walked the rest of the way to Aspertia City. It wasn't that hard, considering she only had one big suitcase. Also, it didn't take as long as she expected to get to the quiet little town of Aspertia.

As Aurelie took her first step into Aspertia City, she began to freak out. "Oh my gosh... What am I doing?! What was I thinking?! I shouldn't be here..." Aurelie abruptly turned on her heel, stepping back out of Aspertia City. She stopped, then turned around again. "Then again... There's nothing for me back in Castelia..." She took five steps into Aspertia City this time. "No! I can't do this! I should just go back to Castelia!"

After arguing with herself for another five minutes, stepping in and out of town about twenty more times, Aurelie stopped and started banging her head on a nearby light post.

"I can't even make up my mind!" Aurelie whined quietly to myself. "I'm so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..."

She was suddenly cut off by the sound of someone trying to muffle their laughter. Aurelie turned to look at who it was, and much to her dismay, it was Cheren.

"CHEREN!" Aurelie's hands suddenly flew up to her reddened face, completely embarrassed. "What are you doing here?!"

It sunk in how dumb that question sounded AFTER Aurelie said it, and Cheren shot her a weird look. "I live here, remember?" He lightly chuckled at how embarrassed and flustered she was. Even though it had only been a day, he was happy to see her again.

"I, uh...I just... I know that! That's not what I meant to say!" Aurelie's exasperation was clear, especially since she was flailing her arms up and down in a flustered manner. "I meant to ask: how long have you been standing there?"

Cheren smirked, laughing a little under his breath. "Since the very beginning when you stepped into town and started arguing with yourself."

Aurelie's eyes widened in horror, making Cheren laugh even harder. "I, uh...don't look at me when I'm talking to myself like a crazy person!" She scolded Cheren, covering her face with her hands again.

Cheren chuckled at Aurelie, stepping over to her. He took her hands off of her face, looking down into her eyes. "I'm afraid it's a bit late for that." His words caused her to sweatdrop, and he smiled down at her, not letting go of one of her hands. "Come on, allow me to show you around town.

"Ok..." Aurelie sighed in defeat, giving up. She walked side-by-side with Cheren, and he politely offered to carry her suitcase. "Cheren...?" Aurelie looked up at the taller man, gaining his immediate attention.

"Yes, Aurelie?" Cheren looked down at her, wondering what she was about to say.

Her bright smile caused Cheren to blush, and this time he wasn't able to cover it up. "Thanks for everything."

Cheren looked away, stammering a little. "I-It was m-my pleasure..." His sudden embarrassment made Aurelie laugh, which just made the Beautiflies in Cheren's stomach grow even more restless.

The two walked back through the entrance of Aspertia City once again, hand-in-hand. But, this time...

Aurelie wasn't alone.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END! THE BOOK IS DONE! Yeah, that's it. I just felt like writing a cute little short story that was OC x Cheren. Did you guys like it? I hope so!<strong>

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


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